Pages

Tracing the Canaanites to North America - Baal Worship Part Two

Runes of the Phoenician town of Tharros in Sardinia

South of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea, sits the small island of Sardinia. In ancient Greece, it was called the land of the giants. Massive stone towers called nuraghe and cyclopian architecture dot the land. Ancient megalithic tombs built in an antediluvian style which sit over the reported burials of the giants, can be seen throughout Sardinia. It is also possible that after the flood, that some of the Canaanites fleeing genocide landed in Sardinia. It is known that Phoenicians founded several strongholds and cities on strategic points in the southern and western areas. They also brought their influence with them as seen by the pagan practices and Baal worship. There are many artifacts that are half man, half bull. Bullheads are found all over in their architecture and also depictions of Tanit, Baal's consort. Depictions of Tanit have been found in Sardinia, Spain, west of Carthage on the North African coast, Bosnia, the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, and South Africa. I'm sure this is not an all conclusive list.

Tanit in Sardinia

She is usually depicted as having a triangular skirt, a round head, sometimes with a moon symbol over her head, and a horizontal line symbolizing a mother goddess with her out stretched arms. But as in Part One, we know that Tanit was not very motherly with the numerous accounts of child sacrifice to her and her mate. Interestingly enough, we find a sacrificial table on top of the one of the oldest ziggurats in the world called Monte d'Accoddi.

Monte d'Accoddi

Located on the Maghreb coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, sits a major city in Morocco. Tangier, or Tingis, as it was once called, was founded in the early 5th century B.C. by Carthaginian (Phoenician) colonists. It later became part of the Roman Empire. The Greeks believed that it was actually established by a giant, Antaios, whose tomb and skeleton are in the vicinity. A Roman commander Quintus Sertorius was told by the residents of Tingis that the gigantic remains could be found within a certain tumulus. Upon digging it open, he was so shocked that he immediately covered it back up. Giant remains 60 cubits (90 feet) long were said to be found. Also, interestingly, the cave of Hercules, is only a few kilometers from the city, and is a major tourist attraction. One of the most telling clues to the Canaanites fleeing to distant lands used to stand near a great fountain in Tangier. Two columns of white stone once stood with a Phoenician inscription "We are the Canaanites who fled before the face of Joshua, the robber, the son of nun."

Entrance to the Phoenician Necropolis at Tangier

Judges 3:7 New Living Translation (NLT)

7 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot about the Lord their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles.

As the Phoenicians spread further out from the Mediterranean Sea, they continued to bring their culture and "gods" with them. This is best seen in the British Isles. The Phoenicians are said to have migrated to the British Isles in search of tin to mix with copper for use in weapon making, other tools, and also possibly armor. Mixing tin with copper was used to make bronze which is much harder than copper alone. In years past and also recently, copper coins have been found in Britain dating back to the time of the Phoenicians. This coin dates back to 2,300 years ago and on one side shows the image of the chief goddess "Tanit" on one side.

It is also clear to see that the worship pattern of the Druids and ancient Celts are very similar to those found in Canaan. As the Phoenicians continued to move east Baal became Bel. Beli, Beltis, Belinus was a Celtic sun god whose symbol was that of a bull and he was synonymous with the Gaulish Cernunnos, who was worshipped also in conjunction with a female deity. Sound familiar? Cernunnos was the Celtic god of fertility, life, animals, wealth, and the underworld.

The ancient Irish had a tradition to sacrifice their first-born children and of their flocks to secure power and peace to Beltis or Beli. The ancient Druids burned their victims in osier-cages shaped like men and set up idols to their "gods".

Beltane Festival

The Beltane or Beltein festival was started by the ancient Druids. May 1st is considered the second most important pagan holiday still to this day. The word Beltane means 'Bel-fire', the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel). Huge bonfires were lit to be used for human sacrifice, and leaping through the fire was thought to promote the growth of crops as the Celts would leap as high as possible. A huge tree was cut down with the branches removed and used as a phallic symbol for fertility by the pagans. During the celebration, the pole was often decorated and danced around with the females carrying baskets symbolizing the female aspect of the sexual organs. The May Pole, or Ashtoreth pole, is the same pole used by the Canaanites that God specifically says to tear down and destroy.

Exodus 34:13 Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles.

1 Kings 14:15 Then the Lord will shake Israel like a reed whipped about in a stream. He will uproot the people of Israel from this good land that he gave their ancestors and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, for they have angered the Lord with the Asherah poles they have set up for worship.

1 Kings 14:23 For they also built for themselves pagan shrines and set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

Although the name of Baal is changing, there is no doubt in my mind that this is the same deity and the same type of pagan worship that was practiced by the Canaanites at the time of Joshua. In part three, I will continue to trace the Canaanites to North America and discuss many artifacts and petroglyphs that have been found proving the existence of Baal worship and Phoenician influence in our ancient history, which unfortunately is still alive and well today in our culture and most don't even know it.